Virtual Simulation for Insurance

ABSTRACT

A driving accident simulation, having a head-wearable user interface (e.g., a head-worn virtual-reality display), may be used to inform a driver of the driver&#39;s potential liability under different insurance options. The simulation may determine damages caused by the simulated accident, and identify multiple insurance options and the resulting user liability under each option. The simulation may also be used to assess an insurance adjuster&#39;s ability to estimate damages from an accident, by receiving the adjuster&#39;s estimate and comparing it to the simulation&#39;s own estimate of damages. In some embodiments, the simulation may present a driver with a simulated view from a point of view of another party to the simulated accident.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/604,033, entitled “Virtual Simulation for Insurance,” andfiled Jan. 23, 2015, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/302,994, entitled “Virtual Simulation forInsurance,” and filed Jun. 12, 2014, and a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/303,058, entitled “Virtual Simulation forInsurance,” and filed Jun. 12, 2014, the contents of which are herebyincorporated in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Selecting an appropriate level of insurance is a challenge for mostinsurance customers. It can be difficult to gauge what kinds ofliability coverage, deductible levels, and other options a particularuser may wish to have, and many users end up selecting coverage that iseither too much coverage or not enough coverage. There remains anever-present need to help insurance customers make better-informeddecisions when selecting their insurance.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In light of the foregoing background, the following presents asimplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the features described herein. Thissummary is not an extensive overview of all of the features describedherein. The following summary merely presents some concepts in asimplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description providedbelow.

In some embodiments, a user may undertake a driving simulator on acomputing device, and when a simulated accident occurs, the computingdevice may evaluate the estimated damages from the simulated accident.The computing device may then calculate a plurality of liabilityestimates for the user corresponding to different insurance coverageoptions, indicating how much the user would have paid for the simulatedaccident had the user purchased the different insurance coverageoptions, and present these liability estimates to the user. The user maythen use these liability estimates to determine a level of coverage toselect, and the computing device may initiate the establishment ofinsurance coverage for the user under the selected insurance options.The driving simulator may also offer the user the option of viewing asimulated accident from the perspective of another driver involved inthe accident, or from a different viewing angle such as the driver'spassenger, or a point of view outside of the simulated automobile, suchas overhead, behind, etc.

In some embodiments, the driving simulator need not result in asimulated accident. The computing device may simply observe the user'sdriving habits, and use those habits to determine an insurance premiumrate, or level of risk and driving skill, for the user. The computingdevice may then offer the user a plurality of insurance coverage optionswith corresponding premium rates based on the user's evaluated level ofrisk and driving skill. In some embodiments, the mere fact that the usersubjected himself/herself to the driving simulator may earn the user apremium discount on insurance coverage.

In some embodiments, the driving simulator may present the user with avariety of driving impairments to test the user's ability to handledriving under adverse conditions.

In some alternative embodiments, the computing device may offersimulations for activities other than driving. For example, a homesimulation may be performed to observe and/or simulate a user's homeliving conditions, and to assess the user's risk for home accidents orcrimes that would be covered by a homeowner's insurance policy. Thecomputing device may then offer the user a plurality of homeowner'sinsurance coverage options, with information identifying differentliability estimates under the different options.

In some embodiments, the simulations described herein may be used totrain insurance adjusters in estimating costs of repair. The computingdevice may determine an actual cost estimate for damages incurred in anaccident, and may then allow the adjuster to provide his/her ownestimate of the damages. The adjuster's performance may then beevaluated by comparing the adjuster's estimate with the estimategenerated by the computing device. In some instances, the simulatedaccident may use data from actual accidents (e.g., providing photographsfrom an actual accident, and using the actual cost of repair).

The various simulations described herein may be implemented usingvirtual reality (VR) computing hardware. For example, a head-mounted VRdisplay device may be used to display a simulated environment for theuser, such as a simulated automobile interior, a simulated home, etc.Driver distractions may also be simulated using the head-mounted VRdisplay. Augmented reality (AR) systems may also be used, to projectdriving simulation images onto an interior side of an automobilewindshield, allowing some driving simulation activities to be providedwhile a driver is actually driving the automobile.

The methods and systems of the above-referenced embodiments may alsoinclude other additional elements, steps, computer-executableinstructions, or computer-readable data structures. In this regard,other embodiments are disclosed and claimed herein as well. The detailsof these and other embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features herein are illustrated by way of example and is not limited inthe accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicatesimilar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example computing device that may beused according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-B illustrate a flow diagram of an example method of providingvarious features described herein.

FIGS. 3A-B, 4A-B, 5 and 6 illustrate example screen displays that may beprovided to a user during the example method of FIGS. 2A-B.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example driving simulation system employingvarious features described herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example home simulation system employing variousfeatures described herein.

FIGS. 9A-B illustrate additional example screen displays that may beprovided to the user.

FIGS. 10A-B illustrate example screen displays for reviewing anaccident.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, methods,computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses are disclosed thatallow users to engage in a simulation, such as a driving simulation,resulting in an eventual simulated accident. The system may estimate thedamages incurred in the simulated accident, and then may inform the userof the user's out-of-pocket liability under different insurance coveragescenarios. For example, different amounts of deductibles and coveragetypes may result in different liability amounts, and the user may beable to see what level of liability the user is most comfortable with.The user may then use the liability estimates to select one or moreinsurance options to purchase. The simulation may be a drivingsimulation, simulation of a home accident, or any other desired type ofsimulation. In addition to allowing the user to see the effect ofdifferent insurance coverage options, the simulation herein may also beused to assess the user's risk for establishing premium levels, to trainthe user in becoming a safer driver or having a safer home, and to alsotrain insurance adjusters in estimating damages for an accident. Theseand other features will be described in further detail below.

In one or more arrangements, teachings of the present disclosure may beimplemented with a computing device. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagramof an example computing device 100 that may be used according to anillustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. The computing device100 may be similar to any available computing device, such as a personalcomputer (e.g., a desktop computer), server, portable computing device,laptop computer, notebook, tablet, smartphone, gaming console, etc. Thecomputing device 100 may have one or more processors 101, which mayexecute instructions stored in one or more computer-readable media, suchas one or more random access memories (RAM) 102, read-only memories(ROM) 103, magnetic or optical disk drive 104, remote network storage105, or any other desired storage medium.

An input/output (I/O) module 106 may include communication interfacesfor receiving and producing user inputs and outputs. The interfaces mayinclude interfaces for a variety of user input devices 107, such askeyboards, joysticks, touchpads, motion sensors, accelerometers,gyroscopes, microphones, cameras, infrared sensors, or any other desiredtype of user input device. The interfaces may also include interfacesfor output devices 108, such as one or more video displays, audiospeakers, and any other desired type of user output device. In someembodiments, the user input and/or output devices may be VR simulationdevices. A VR output device 108 may be a head-wearable display device,such as eyeglass displays, VR helmet displays, goggle displays, and thelike, which may present a user's eyes with separate images for left- andright- eye viewing. The VR output device 108 may present the user with avirtual environment that simulates the interior of an automobile, home,or other environment. The VR input devices 107 may detect the user'seye, hand, head and/or body positioning to adjust the display on theoutput device 108 accordingly, to provide the user with an immersivevirtual world experience. The VR input devices 107 may also include oneor more control devices, such as a simulated steering wheel, dashboardwith touch interface, remote control with buttons, etc., to furthersimulate user input devices in the virtual world.

In some embodiments, the user interface devices 107/108 may be augmentedreality (AR) devices. The AR device may, for example, provide acomputer-generated display overlaid atop a user's view of his/hersurroundings. For example, an AR device may project a display onto anautomobile windshield, overlaying relevant information atop what thedriver sees. Eyeglass-based AR systems may overlay a digital image onthe wearer's view of the environment, and a handheld-display-based ARsystem (e.g., via a user's smartphone and rear-mounted camera) maycapture an image of the user's environment using a rear-mounted camera,and overlay digital images on top of the captured image to present theuser with a composite image of both the physical environment and theoverlaid digital images.

The network interface 109 allows the computing device 100 to connect toand communicate with a network 130. The network 130 may be any type ofnetwork, including a local area network (LAN), local wireless network(e.g., 802.11, BLUETOOTH, etc.) and/or a wide area network (WAN), suchas the Internet. Through the network 130, the computing device 100 maycommunicate with one or more computing devices 140, such as laptops,notebooks, smartphones, personal computers, servers, etc. The computingdevices 140 may also be configured in the same manner as computingdevice 100. In some embodiments the computing device 100 may beconnected to the computing devices 140 to form a “cloud” computingenvironment.

The network interface 109 may connect to the network 130 viacommunication lines, such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, etc. orwirelessly using a cellular backhaul or a wireless standard, such asIEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16 etc. In some embodiments, thenetwork interface may include a modem. Further, the network interface111 may use various protocols, including TCP/IP, Ethernet, File TransferProtocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc., to communicatewith other computing devices 140.

The computing device 100 may be a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone),and thus, may also include various other components, such as a battery,speaker, and antennas (not shown).

The computing device 100 may be programmed, by executing instructionsstored on one or more of the computer-readable media discussed above(e.g., RAM 102, ROM 103, drives 104, storage 105, etc.), to perform theprocess shown in FIGS. 2A-B. In step 200, the computing device may beginby defining the various insurance coverage options that will beavailable. The options may be defined in any desired manner in theinsurance field, and may be provided by one or more insuranceadministrators. Example coverage options may include dollar limits oncoverage (e.g., $500,000 per accident), types of accident events covered(e.g., liability insurance, comprehensive coverage regardless of legalliability for accident, etc.), deductible amounts, etc. The coverageoptions may also include defining how driver skill will affect thepremium charged. For example, various factors of driving performance(e.g., adherence to speed limits, maintaining assured clear distance,sudden lane changes or acceleration/deceleration, etc.) may indicate adriver's overall level of driving skill, and different levels of drivingskill may warrant different levels of plan premiums for automobileinsurance coverage.

In step 201, the computing device 100 may determine whether a user hasrequested to engage in a driving simulation. This may occur, forexample, by the user executing a driving simulation program on thecomputing device 100. If the computing device 100 is offering itssimulation over the Internet, then this may occur if the user accessesthe Internet page that begins the driving simulation.

If the user has requested a driving simulation, then in step 202, thecomputing device 100 may begin by defining information for the driver.The information may include information identifying the user (e.g., aname, account number, etc.), demographic information of the user (e.g.,age), driver license restrictions (e.g., motor vehicle class, visionrequirements, etc.), and any other desired driver information. Theinformation may be obtained by prompting the user, retrieving from apreviously-stored database, or any combination of the two (e.g., theuser may enter an account number, and the computing device may retrievecorresponding user identification information from a customer database).

In step 203, the computing device may define the type of drivingsimulation to be performed. For example, different driving simulationsmay test different types of driving. One simulation may focus on highwaydriving, while another may emphasize suburban or city driving, anddifferent simulations may have different amounts of traffic volume(e.g., one simulation may simulate a busy, rush-hour level of trafficcongestion, while another may simulate sparse traffic). Simulation typesmay also vary by vehicle type or condition—one simulation may use a4-door sedan with rear-wheel drive, while another simulation may use anall-wheel drive wagon or sport utility vehicle. One simulation may use ahigh-powered engine, while another simulation may use a low-poweredengine. Different safety features of the vehicles may be used aswell—one simulation may use a vehicle having anti-lock brakes, seatbelts and air bags, while another simulation may omit air bags. Vehicleconditions may also be varied. One simulated car may have poor qualitytires with lower traction or increased likelihood of running flat, whileanother simulated car may have poor condition brakes. Tire condition,inflation pressure, and any other vehicle condition may be simulated.

Simulation types may also vary by weather or environmental conditions.For example, one simulation may simulate driving in snowy, icyconditions, in which case vehicle performance may be adversely affected(e.g., simulated tire traction may be reduced). Another simulation maysimulate heavy rain conditions and fog, reducing visibility of thedriver. Another simulation may involve night-time driving.

Other types of impairments to the driver may be simulated as well. Forexample, driver distraction impairments may be applied to the drivingexperience. The computing device may, for example, simulate an in-carconversation by providing spoken text to the user during the simulation,and may require a verbal response from the user to confirm participationin the conversation. A simulated phone call or text message may arriveduring the driving simulation, requiring the user to respond by, forexample, locating and pressing one or more buttons on a simulated cellphone. The user may be prompted to change a virtual radio station,requiring the user to manipulate buttons on a virtual car radio. If thecomputing device 100 is configured with a computer-controlled fan, thenanother driving impairment may be a blast of air on the user's face,simulating a sudden gust when a passenger opens a window. Anotherdriving impairment may be motion or vibration. For example, the user maybe sitting in a chair that contains a motor, allowing the computingdevice 100 to cause the chair to move or shake. Vibration may also beimplemented in the user's steering wheel or other handheld control. Suchmotion and/or vibration may help further improve the simulation bysimulating driving events such as the car running over rumble strips,striking an animal, etc.

Driver impairments may also include simulated drunken or drowsy driving.User inputs (e.g., the user turning a steering wheel to control thevirtual automobile) may be delayed to simulate delayed reaction time ofa drunk or drowsy driver. The visual display may be reduced to a tunnelvision or blank screen to simulate impaired vision.

All of the various simulation types discussed above may be selected instep 203 to define the type of driving simulation that is desired. Theselection may be made, for example, by prompting the user to selectavailable simulation options. Alternatively, the selection may be madeautomatically and without the user's selection (e.g., a random test maybe administered to the user, to help fully assess the user's truedriving skill in an unexpected situation).

After the simulation type has been defined, the computing device 100 mayproceed to step 204, and begin executing the simulation. Executing thesimulation may include, for example, generating for display athree-dimensional simulated driving environment, such as that shown inFIG. 3A. The simulated driving environment may include a driver's viewof a simulated car driving on a simulated road, with simulated obstaclessuch as trees and other traffic. If desired, the simulation may includeother users. For example, multiple users, each using their own computingdevice 100 (or another device 140) and engaging in a driving simulation,may be placed in a shared simulation through networked communicationsbetween their respective computing devices 100. The shared simulationmay provide a simulated environment in which both users operate theirown simulated vehicles, and the users may suffer a virtual accidenttogether. Including multiple real-world users in the simulation may helpto enhance the simulation's behavior, by providing the unpredictableactions of another user. The user may control the driving experienceusing any desired input device 107, such as a steering wheel controller,gas and brake pedal controller, keyboard controller, touchscreen tablet,camera, infrared sensor, or any other desired type of user input device,and the computing device 100 may react accordingly in response to theuser's inputs. The computing device 100 may provide the various types ofsimulation noted above (e.g., snowy, rainy, busy traffic, etc.), and instep 205, may collect the user's performance data. The collection ofperformance data may include collecting a variety of types of data. Forexample, the performance data may include information identifying howmuch assured clear distance the user maintains with the car in front,how well the user obeys speed limits and other traffic signs, howquickly the user accelerated or decelerated the car, how well the userstayed within a lane, how safe the user was in signaling and making alane change, or any other desired driving skill parameter.

As part of the simulation, the computing device 100 may also providetraining information to help improve the user's driving skills. Forexample, the computing device 100 may provide pop-up icons highlightingareas where a driver should be focusing attention (e.g., cross trafficat intersections, parked car doors, etc.). The computing device 100 mayinclude a ghost car in the simulation, where the ghost car representsanother virtual car that is practicing safe driving (e.g., driving at asafe speed, in a correct line through the traffic, etc.). The user cansee how he/she differs from the ghost car's performance, and may adjusthis/her own driving habits to more closely mimic the safe driving habitsexhibited by the ghost car.

As seen in FIG. 3B, the driving simulation may eventually include theuser getting into a virtual accident. When an accident occurs, thecomputing device 100 may simulate the collision and resulting damage tothe user's car and any other property involved in the accident. Thesimulation may be a detailed crash simulation, taking into account theuser's car characteristics (crumple zones, air bags, etc.), speed,direction and that of any other car or property involved in theaccident.

In step 206, the computing device 100 may determine whether it is timeto stop the simulation. The simulation may be stopped, for example, whenthe user decides to terminate the simulation, or when the simulation hasreached a predetermined virtual location or time duration. Thesimulation may also stop when the user gets involved in a virtual caraccident.

If the simulation is not ready to stop, then the process may return tostep 204 to continue executing the simulation and collecting performancedata. If the simulation is to stop, then in step 207, the computingdevice 100 may determine whether there was an accident, or collisionbetween the user's virtual car and another object in the simulatedenvironment.

If there was an accident, then in step 208, the computing device 100 maydetermine whether the user should be presented with an alternative angleview of the accident. This determination may be made automatically, sothat an accident replay is automatically provided after ever accident,or the determination may be at the user's request. For example, the usermay be given a prompt 1001, shown in FIG. 10A, requesting whether theuser wishes to view the accident from the alternative view. If the userresponds in the affirmative, then in step 209, the computing device 100may provide the requested accident replay to the user. As part of thepresentation, the user may be given an option to choose a viewing anglefrom a variety of available viewing angles. As shown in FIG. 10B, theuser may choose to view the accident from their own perspective, theperspective of a passenger in the user's car, the perspective of anotherdriver involved in the simulated accident, or an external fixed viewsuch as from a sidewalk or overhead.

In step 209, the user may then view the accident from the other point ofview, and may learn how to improve their driving by seeing how their ownactions affected, and were seen by, others.

If there was an accident, then in step 210, the computing device 100 mayestimate the damages incurred in the accident. In some embodiments, thevirtual accident may in fact be based on an actual accident. Forexample, the computing device 100 may store, or have access to, adatabase of historical accident information identifying car types,collision parameters (e.g., direction of impact, relative speeds ofvehicles involved, etc.), and ensuing actual damages. When the user'svirtual car collides with another virtual car, the computing device 100may determine whether the car types, speed and direction of impact inthe virtual collision match the car types, speed and direction of impactof a historical accident identified in the database. For example, if theuser is driving a virtual 2010 Honda Civic and collides head-on with avirtual 2011 Toyota Camry at a combined speed of 50 MPH, the computingdevice may determine whether a similar accident may have occurredbefore. If such an accident is in the historical database, then thecomputing device may retrieve the actual damages that were incurred inthat accident in the historical database.

The computing device 100 may use the database in determining what typeof virtual car to use for the traffic in the driving simulation. Forexample, if the historical database indicates a relatively large numberof collisions between the user's car and a particular type of other car,then the computing device 100 may select that other type of car for thevirtual traffic. The computing device 100 may also take steps tosimulate actual historical accidents by, for example, swerving a virtualopposing car into the user's lane at the speed of a prior collision.

If there is no actual historical accident data corresponding to theuser's simulated accident, then the computing device 100 may estimatethe damages virtually. In some embodiments, the actual damages may bedisplayed to the user, as shown in FIG. 4A, to allow the user toappreciate how quickly damages can add up in an accident.

In step 211, the computing device 100 may then calculate the user'sliability estimates under different insurance policy provisions. Forexample, if different insurance policies cover different types ofdamages, then the user's estimated liability under the differentpolicies will be different. One example way in which policies may differis in the determination of fault in determining liability. Some policiesoffer comprehensive coverage regardless of who is at fault in aparticular accident, while other policies offer reduced (or no) coverageif the user is not at fault in the accident. The determination of faultin a virtual accident may be made by the computing device 100 (e.g., thecomputing device 100 may determine whether the user had obeyed relevanttraffic laws at the time of the collision, or if the virtual opposingcar broke traffic laws to cause the accident), and that determinationmay result in different amounts of user liability for the accident'sdamages.

Another way in which the user's liability may change comes from thecoverage limit. Different policies may place different limits on theamount of damages that will be covered by the policy, and thisdifference may result in different amounts of user liability.

Another difference is in the user's deductible. Different deductibleamounts in the policies will result in different amounts of user'sliability for damages.

Another variation is in the uninsured motorist provision. Some policiesoffer different amounts of coverage if the opposing driver is anuninsured driver, so these different policies may result in differentamounts of user liability in the event of an accident. When thecomputing device 100 generates the virtual opposing car in the drivingsimulation, the computing device 100 may determine whether that opposingcar is driven by a virtual uninsured motorist, or if the other car isdriven by another user, the device 100 may determine that the other useris uninsured for purposes of the simulation.

Other variations may apply as well, and in step 211, the computingdevice 100 may calculate a plurality of different user liabilityestimates for the various variations in possible coverage options.

In step 212, the computing device 100 may then generate a display forthe user, informing the user of the various liability estimates underthe different available insurance policy options. FIG. 4B shows anexample of such a display, and the user may be allowed to select one ormore of the listed policy options for further information and eventualestablishment of coverage.

In step 213, any selection(s) made by the user are processed by thecomputing device 100.

The user may have selected one or more of the insurance policy optionsshown in FIG. 4B, and may have chosen to purchase the listed options.These selections may be processed in step 213 to process the purchaseand establish insurance coverage for the user under the selected policyoptions. If the user chose a different option, such as to see moreinsurance policy options, or to exit the simulation process, then thatselection would also be processed in step 213 to provide additionalliability estimates or exit the program. In some embodiments, aninsurance provider may offer an insurance discount to the user merelyfor engaging in the driving simulation.

If, in step 207, the simulation ended without an accident, then in step214, the computing device 100 may proceed with evaluating the user'sdriving performance data that was gathered during the simulation. Thisevaluation may include generating a driver score for the user based onall of the observations collected during the performance data collection205 described above. FIG. 5 illustrates an example display that may bepresented to the user to show the user how well (or poorly) the userdrove during the simulation. As illustrated, there may be point valuesassociated with the various observations, and a total driver skill valuemay be calculated by totaling the various point values.

When the user's driver skill has been assessed, the computing device 100may generate for display a listing of a variety of policy offers in step215. The policy offers may identify various insurance policies andoptions that are available to the user, and for each available policyoffer, the listing may display a corresponding insurance premium thatwas calculated for the user based on the policy coverage and the user'sdriver skill. The listing may resemble that of the listing in FIG. 4B,although instead of listing damage liability estimates for the variouspolicy offers, the listing may simply have the monthly premium (or othercost) and information identifying the policy offer (e.g., the coverageamount, deductible, and types of incidents covered).

After processing the user selection in step 213, the computing device100 may proceed to step 216, and determine whether a home simulation isdesired. A home simulation may be similar to a driving simulation,although instead of simulating the user's driving, the home simulationsimulates the user's home life and likelihood of an event requiringhomeowner's insurance (e.g., fire, burglary, etc.).

If a home simulation is desired (e.g., the user of the computing device100 selects a home simulation option), then in step 217, the computingdevice 100 may collect information regarding the user's home and homehabits. As with the driving information above, the home information maybe collected by prompting the user, or the information may be collectedautomatically. In some embodiments, the user's home may be provided withmonitoring devices (e.g., a home security system) that can track theuser's home life habits, such as the time spent by the user at home, howoften the user cooks on the stove, whether the user uses a fireplace,etc., and may report this information to the computing device 100. Insome embodiments, the user may log into the computing device 100, andthe device 100 may access an account that the user has on the device 100or another server. For example, the user may have a profile with anotherservice, which may provide the user's home information upon login.

Aside from user habit information, the home information may also includedescriptive information of the home, such as the home's proximity to afire station and police station, the crime rate in the neighborhood, thepresence and usage of a home security system or smoke detector, thevalue of the home and its contents, the details of the home occupants(age, infirmities, etc.), the local weather history, and any otherdesired characteristic that may be useful for assessing homeownerinsurance risk. This information may be entered by the user, or it maybe automatically retrieved (e.g., from an account noted above) and/orderived. For example, if the user provides a home address, the device100 may access one or more databases (e.g., on a remote computing device140) to determine the address's proximity the a fire station and policestation, the crime statistics for the neighborhood, the likelihood orhistory of floods occurring in the neighborhood, etc. If certain eventsare more likely to occur in the home (e.g., the home is located on aflood plain, making floods more likely, or the home is located in ahigh-crime area, making theft and burglary more likely), then thoseevents may be given priority in the simulation, and may be simulatedmore often. The home simulation may increase the likelihood ofsimulating those types of events, and may use this likelihood inestimating home damages.

In step 218, the various home information may be evaluated by thecomputing device to assess an overall risk level for the home. Thecomputing device 100 may identify individual risks of crime, fire,weather-related damage, and other insurable risks, and the evaluationmay comprise establishing homeowner insurance premium levels forinsuring against the various risks. The computing device 100 may usestatistical information to generate likelihoods of various types ofaccident events, and in step 219, the computing device 100 may generatefor display a listing of the various liability estimates for thedifferent types of home accidents. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of sucha listing, in which the user is able to see potential liability underdifferent insurance plan options, and may make a selection as describedabove in step 213. The user's selection(s) may then be processed in step220.

Although driving and home simulations are described above, thesimulations herein are not limited to those types of events. To thecontrary, any event that is capable of being simulated may be simulatedin the manner described herein, and the user may be presented with avariety of estimated liability options corresponding to differentinsurance policy options for the simulated insurance event.

In step 221, the computing device 100 may determine whether a user hasrequested an adjuster test. Unlike the driving and home simulationexamples above, the adjuster test may be used to simply test aninsurance adjuster's ability to correctly estimate damages incurred inan accident. The test may be performed, for example, when an insurancecompany wishes to evaluate potential adjusters for employment. The testis described as being performed by the computing device 100, but that issolely for ease of description, and the test need not be performed bythe same device administering the driving and home simulations describedabove. Indeed, any of the process steps described herein may beperformed by different computing devices as desired.

If an adjuster test is desired, then in step 222, an accident may besimulated. The simulation of the accident may include the userindicating a type of desired accident (e.g., the user may be prompted toidentify whether an automobile accident, home fire, home burglary, etc.is the desired accident), and then the computing device 100 generatingthe desired simulated accident. For this test, the computing device 100may use the historical database discussed above, and retrieveinformation from actual accidents that have occurred in the past. Forexample, the computing device 100 may retrieve information for aprevious home fire, and may gather the photographs of the scene and theactual costs of repair.

In step 223, the computing device may estimate the damages from thesimulated accident. The damages may be the historical actual damagesdiscussed above, or they may be computer-simulated damages for a virtualaccident.

In step 224, the user is able to review the accident information (e.g.,view the photographs of the scene, research information about the homeor driver, etc.), and provide the user's own estimate of the damagesincurred in the accident.

In step 225, the computing device 100 may compare the user's estimatewith the computer-generated (or historical) estimate, and output a scorebased on how close the user's estimate was to the actual damages. Thescore may then be displayed to the user, and may be used to evaluate theuser's accuracy. The process may then return to step 101, and thealgorithm may repeat indefinitely (or until a request is received tohalt the process).

The method illustrated in FIGS. 2A&B is merely illustrative. Thedescribed steps may be altered, combined, divided, rearranged, omitted,and/or augmented with additional functions as desired.

The illustrative method may be conducted using an automobile simulationsystem 700, as shown in FIG. 7. The system 700 may be, for example, adisplay booth or kiosk at a shopping mall. Users may use the kiosk toparticipate in a driving simulation, and receive offers for insurance,as described above. The components may be example implementations ofcomponents shown in FIG. 1. For example, there may be a display 701,which can be an example of an output device 108 used to depict the userinterface and simulation displays shown in FIGS. 3A-6.

There may be a simulation controller computing device 702, which may bean implementation of the computing device 100, and which may executeprogram instructions to perform one or more of the various stepsillustrated in FIGS. 2A&B.

There may be a steering wheel (or other type of steering inputcontroller, such as a directional pad, analog stick, touch pad, etc.)input device 703, brake pedal 704 and gas pedal 705 (acceleration anddeceleration input device, such as an analog button controller, gaminginput device, touch pad, etc.), which may be implementations of theinput devices 107 to gather user input during the driving simulation.The input devices may be simulated as well. For example, one or morecameras may detect the user's body and/or a handheld infrared device,and may interpret gestures as input commands. Those input devices 107may communicate with one or more sensor processors 706, which may beelectromechanical devices configured to sense positions of the inputdevices 107 and report them as electrical signals to the simulationcontroller 702. The sensor processors 706 may be embodied as part of theinput devices 107 illustrated.

Additional input and/or output devices may include a dashboard interface707. The dashboard interface 707 may simulate an automobile dashboard,and may include one or more information displays (e.g., speedometer,tachometer, global positioning system map, thermostat settings, etc.),and user inputs (e.g., simulated radio buttons, window controls,heating/cooling system controls, transmission gear shift controls,control interface for operating the simulator 700, etc.). Additionalinput/output devices may include one or more speakers 708 (which mayalso include microphones) to provide and receive sound, and one or morefans 709, which can provide the user with an unexpected burst of airduring the driving simulation, or which may simply simulate thedistraction of an open window. Other driving simulation devices, such asmotor actuators to move a seat, additional displays to simulate viewsfrom other windows, may also be used.

As noted above, the simulation system 700 may be a kiosk placed at ashopping mall. When a user initially requests to use the kiosk, thekiosk may initiate a process of collecting information from the user.The information collection may be as simply as asking the user questionson the display 701/707, and receiving responses from the user, whichidentify the user's demographic information and/or the user's actualinsurance account information or other identification information.

The simulation controller 702 may, in some embodiments, employ a remoteresults processor 710. The results processor 710 may, for example, be aninsurance computer located at an insurance company's facility, remotefrom the location of the kiosk, and may receive the results of theuser's driving simulation. The results may be gathered by the simulationcontroller 702 during the simulation (e.g., as a total driving score, ora log of the user's accident information), and transmitted by thecontroller 702 to the remote results processor 710. The remote resultsprocessor 710 may then analyze the user's performance, identify theinsurance coverage options for the user, and transmit the options to thecontroller 702 for eventual display to the user on display 701.

In the description above, the user may use the simulation's display(e.g., display 707) as a user interface for communicating with thesimulation system and initializing the simulation. In alternativeembodiments, the user may use their own smartphone or other portablewireless computing device to communicate with the controller 702 andinitiate the simulation. For example, the user may use a smartphone 711to sign in to the kiosk by, for example, local exchange of the user'sidentification information via a local wireless communication, such asBluetooth, using a local wireless network interface 109 of thecontroller 702. In some embodiments, the user may approach the kiosk,press a button on interface 707 to pair the controller 702 with theuser's smartphone 711, and then use the smartphone 711 as an interfaceto communicate with the controller 702 and request the simulation. Theresults shown to the user in FIGS. 4A& B may also be transmitted fromthe result processor 710 to the smartphone 711, instead of to thecontroller 702 or display 707, to help protect the user's privacy. Theuser may then view the options on their smartphone 711, and makeinsurance option selections from the smartphone 711 as well.

While FIG. 7 illustrates an example driving simulation system 700 thatsimulates a driving experience and evaluates a driver's risk of anautomobile accident, FIG. 8 illustrates an example home simulationsystem 800, which may simulate a user's home living experience andevaluate the user's risk of a home accident or insurance event (e.g.,fire, flood, theft, etc.). Many of the elements, such as the controller702, sensor processor 706, remote results processor 710 and smartphone711 may be the same as in the driving simulation system 700, althoughthey would perform their functions in the context of a home simulationinstead of a driving simulation.

The home simulation system 800 may be built in a room-sized display atthe shopping mall kiosk, and may include various simulated features of ahome. For example, simulated doors, windows, furniture, kitchenappliances, clothes washer/dryer, heating and air conditioning systems,smoke detectors, etc. may be placed throughout the simulated home. Eachof these simulated items may include a user interface display, and maycommunicate with the input/output sensor controller 706 and/or thesimulation controller 702. The user may interact with the simulateditems to, for example, provide information details of the home beingsimulated. This may entail, for example, the user informing thesimulated windows how many windows are in the user's home, their type,whether they have home security sensors attached, etc. Similarly, theuser may also interact with the other simulated items to inform them oftheir characteristics. The smoke detector may be informed of the lasttime the user replaced the battery; the range may be informed of thetype of fuel; the home security system may be informed of the securitytype and provider, etc. Although each item may include its own userinterface for obtaining this information, other embodiments mayconsolidate the user interface, and use a centralized computer (e.g., aninterface with controller 702) to obtain information from the user. Insome embodiments, the computing device 100 or a centralized computer mayretrieve sensor information from the user's home. For example, theuser's home may be equipped with sensors that are configured to reporttheir status and usage information to a computing device that isaccessible to the device 100 or centralized computer. The user may grantpermission to the device 100 (e.g., by logging in with a securepassword) to retrieve the sensor information from the user's home, andby doing so, the simulation may be a more accurate simulation of theuser's actual home.

In addition to providing basic descriptive parameters of the varioussimulated items, the items may also allow the user to indicate usagepatterns. The user may inform the range of the user's cooking habits(times cooking per week, burners used, etc.); the user may inform thewindows of how often the user leaves the windows open and when; the usermay indicate how often they test the smoke alarm or how regularly theyactivate the home security system, etc. As noted above, this informationmay also be retrieved from the user's home devices, to improve theaccuracy of the home simulation.

In addition to providing information about the items in the simulatedhome, the user may also be permitted to provide information about thehome itself. This may be done, for example, using a display interface ofthe controller 702, or any of the simulated items' interfaces. Theinformation about the home may include its location (e.g., streetaddress, ZIP code), structure type (e.g., single-family home,multi-dwelling apartment, etc.), age, construction type (e.g., brick,log house, etc.), maintenance history, etc. Any information that aninsurance company may find useful in evaluating the home insurance riskof a home may be obtained by the controller 702 and used to simulate theuser's home.

The various information provided by the user to the simulated items maybe provided to the sensor controller 706 and/or simulation controller702, and the controller 702 may conduct a simulation of the user's homeliving situation, as done above in the driving simulation . Thesimulation may be over an accelerated time period (e.g., simulating ayear in a few minutes) using statistical likelihoods based on theparameters of the simulated items in the user's simulated home. Thesimulation results may be provided to the results processor 710, and anarray of home insurance options may be provided to the user as a result.

FIGS. 9A&B illustrate an example display, similar to the ones shown inFIGS. 4A&B, but in the home simulation context. So, for example, theFIG. 9A display may inform the user of the system's estimated likelihoodthat the user's home will suffer a loss in the time period of thesimulation (e.g., a user-selected period of one year), and may identifythe types of dollar amount losses with a corresponding total estimatedrisk.

FIG. 9B may then illustrate the total estimated losses, and inform theuser of what the user would have to pay under the various differentinsurance plan options selected by the result processor 710. As withFIG. 4B, the user in FIG. 9B may choose a plan to learn more about thattype of coverage, and may use the interface to purchase coverage under aselected option.

The examples above illustrate various systems and methods for usingvirtual simulations to help customers select the ideal amount ofinsurance for their needs. Features herein have been described in termsof illustrative embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments,modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of theappended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art froma review of this disclosure. For example, one of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that the steps illustrated in the illustrativefigures may be performed in other than the recited order, and that oneor more steps illustrated may be optional. The various steps may also beperformed by alternative computing devices. For example, the stepsperformed by the controller 702 may be performed by the result processor710 instead, and vice versa. Some steps may also be performed by theuser's smartphone 711.

1. A driving simulation system, comprising: a plurality of input/outputdevices, wherein the plurality of input/output devices comprise: one ormore driving simulation input devices; and a virtual-reality displaydevice; and a first computing device communicatively coupled to the oneor more driving simulation input devices and the virtual-reality displaydevice, wherein the first computing device comprises: at least one firstprocessor; and a first memory storing first computer-executableinstructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor,cause the first computing device to: generate, based on userinteractions with the one or more driving simulation input devices, asimulation of an accident involving a virtual vehicle in a simulateddriving environment; send, to the virtual-reality display device, thesimulation of the accident for display in the simulated drivingenvironment; estimate a cost of damages associated with the simulatedaccident; receive a plurality of liability estimates for the damages,from a second computing device configured to determine the plurality ofliability estimates based on the estimated cost of the damages, whereinthe plurality of liability estimates correspond to coverage under aplurality of insurance policy options; and send the plurality ofliability estimates for the damages to the virtual-reality displaydevice for display.
 2. The driving simulation system of claim 1, furthercomprising: the second computing device, wherein the second computingdevice is located remotely from the first computing device, and whereinthe second computing device comprises: at least one second processor;and a second memory storing second computer-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause thesecond computing device to: receive, from the first computing device,information relating to the simulated accident and the estimated cost ofthe damages; select, based on the information relating to the simulatedaccident and the estimated cost of the damages, the plurality ofinsurance policy options; and determine the plurality of liabilityestimates using the plurality of insurance policy options.
 3. Thedriving simulation system of claim 2, wherein the first computing devicefurther comprises: a wireless network interface configured tocommunicate wirelessly with the second computing device to receive andtransmit information relating to the simulated accident and theestimated cost of the damages.
 4. The driving simulation system of claim1, further comprising: wherein the first computing device furthercomprises a wireless network interface configured to communicatewirelessly with a smartphone of a user interacting with the simulateddriving environment, wherein the smartphone comprises a display, whereinthe first computer-executable instructions, when executed by the atleast one first processor, further cause the first computing device totransmit, via the wireless network interface and to the smartphone, theplurality of liability estimates for display on the display of thesmartphone.
 5. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein thefirst computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at leastone first processor, further cause the first computing device to:receive, via a wireless network interface of the first communicationdevice configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone of a userinteracting with the simulated driving environment, an indication of aselection of one of the plurality of liability estimates; and inresponse to receiving the indication of the selection of one of theplurality of liability estimates, automatically initiate establishmentof insurance coverage under an insurance policy option corresponding tothe liability estimate.
 6. The driving simulation system of claim 1,wherein the first computer-executable instructions, when executed by theat least one first processor, further cause the first computing deviceto: control feedback delivered via the one or more driving simulationinput devices.
 7. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein theplurality of input/output devices further comprise a secondvirtual-reality display, and wherein the first computer-executableinstructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, furthercause the first computing device to send to the second virtual-realitydisplay for display, the simulated driving environment from aperspective of a passenger of the virtual vehicle.
 8. The drivingsimulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device furthercomprises a wireless network interface configured to communicatewirelessly with a smartphone of the user interacting with the simulateddriving environment, wherein the smartphone comprises a display, whereinthe first computer-executable instructions, when executed by the atleast one first processor, further cause the first computing device totransmit, via the wireless network interface and to the smartphone,information identifying a discount to be awarded to the user in responseto the user using the driving simulation system for display on thedisplay of the smartphone.
 9. The driving simulation system of claim 1,wherein the first computing device further comprises a wireless networkinterface configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone of theuser interacting with the simulated driving environment, wherein thesmartphone comprises a display, wherein the first computer-executableinstructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, furthercause the first computing device to transmit, via the wireless networkinterface and to the smartphone, information identifying premiumscorresponding to the coverage under the plurality of insurance policyoptions for display on the display of the smartphone.
 10. The drivingsimulation system of claim 1, wherein the driving simulation systemcomprises a kiosk.
 11. The driving simulation system of claim 1, whereinthe plurality of input/output devices comprise a dashboard interfacedevice, and wherein the dashboard interface device is configured to:display a simulated automobile dashboard, and receive, from thesimulated automobile dashboard, indications of user inputs controllingsimulated dashboard operation of the virtual vehicle.
 12. The drivingsimulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computer-executableinstructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, causethe first computing device to: display, in the simulated drivingenvironment, a virtual ghost vehicle exhibiting safe driving behavior asa guide for a user controlling the virtual vehicle to mimic the safedriving behavior of the virtual ghost vehicle.
 13. A driving simulationsystem, comprising: one or more driving simulation input devices; avirtual-reality display device; and a first computing devicecommunicatively coupled to the one or more driving simulation inputdevices and the virtual-reality display device, wherein the firstcomputing device comprises: at least one first processor; and a firstmemory storing first computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the at least one first processor, cause the first computingdevice to: send, to the virtual-reality display device for display, asimulation of a driving environment, including a first virtual vehicleand a second virtual vehicle; receive, via the one or more drivingsimulation input devices, indications of user interactions controllingvirtual driving of the first virtual vehicle in the simulated drivingenvironment; generate, based on the indications of the userinteractions, a simulation of a virtual vehicle accident between thefirst virtual vehicle and the second virtual vehicle, in the simulateddriving environment; send, to the virtual-reality display device, thesimulation of the virtual vehicle accident from a point of view of adriver of the first virtual vehicle for display in the simulated drivingenvironment; after receiving, from the virtual-reality display device,an indication that the virtual-reality display device has displayed thesimulation of the virtual vehicle accident from the point of view of thedriver of the first virtual vehicle, generate, based on the indicationsof the user interactions, a simulation of the virtual vehicle accidentbetween the first virtual vehicle and the second virtual vehicle, in thesimulated driving environment, from a point of view of a driver of thesecond virtual vehicle; send, to the virtual-reality display device, thesimulation of the virtual vehicle accident -from the point of view ofthe driver of the second virtual vehicle for display in the simulateddriving environment; determine a plurality of insurance policies havingvarying insurance options; determine, based on actual historicalaccident data, damage liability estimates, associated with the simulatedvirtual vehicle accident, under each of the plurality of insurancepolicies; and send, to the virtual-reality display device for display,the damage liability estimates under each of the plurality of insurancepolicies.
 14. The driving simulation system of claim 13, furthercomprising: a second computing device; a second input device associatedwith the second computing device; and a display device associated withthe second computing device, wherein the second computing device isconfigured to: send, to the display device, associated with the secondcomputing device, for display, the simulated driving environment,including the first virtual vehicle and the second virtual vehicle; andreceive, from the second input device, user interactions controllingvirtual driving of the second virtual vehicle in the simulated drivingenvironment, wherein the first computing device and the second computingdevice are configured to cooperatively cause generation and display ofthe simulated driving environment and the simulated virtual vehicleaccident.
 15. The driving simulation system of claim 13, wherein thedriving simulation system further comprises a computer-controlled fancommunicatively coupled to the first computing device, wherein the firstcomputer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least onefirst processor, further cause the first computing device to: controlthe computer-controlled fan to output a blast of air while a user iscontrolling virtual driving of the first virtual vehicle in thesimulated driving environment.
 16. The driving simulation system ofclaim 13, wherein the damage liability estimates are based on thevarying insurance options associated with each of the plurality ofinsurance policies, wherein the varying insurance options comprise acoverage limit, a deductible amount, an indication of an uninsuredmotorist provision, and an indication of a no-fault provision.
 17. Adriving simulation system, comprising: one or more input/output devices,wherein the one or more input/output devices comprise an augmentedreality device; and a computing device, the computing device comprising:at least one processor communicatively coupled to the one or moreinput/output devices; and memory storing first computer-executableinstructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causethe computing device to: generate a first driving simulation image,wherein the first driving simulation image includes a simulated vehicleaccident of a virtual vehicle; send, to the augmented reality device,the first driving simulation image and instructions to project the firstdriving simulation image; estimate a cost of damages associated with thesimulated vehicle accident by: comparing simulated vehicle accident datato actual historical vehicle accident data stored in a database, whereinthe actual historical vehicle accident data corresponds to data foractual vehicle accidents, matching the simulated vehicle accident datato an actual historical vehicle accident in the database, andretrieving, from the database, data corresponding to damages that wereincurred in the actual historical vehicle accident; determine, based onthe damages that were incurred in the actual historical vehicle accidentand under at least one insurance policy option, a liability estimate forthe damages associated with the simulated vehicle accident; and send, toat least one of the one or more input/output devices, the liabilityestimate for the damages under the at least one insurance policy option.18. The driving simulation system of claim 17, wherein the firstcomputer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, further cause the computing device to generate a seconddriving simulation image that includes instructions to a driver on adirection in which to drive the virtual vehicle.
 19. The drivingsimulation system of claim 17, wherein the one or more input/outputdevices comprise a speaker, wherein the first computer-executableinstructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further causethe computing device to: control, the speaker to output a simulatedin-car conversation while a user is controlling the virtual vehicle. 20.The driving simulation system of claim 17, wherein matching thesimulated vehicle accident data to the actual historical vehicleaccident data stored in the database comprises: matching at least one ofa car type, a speed, and a direction of impact indicated in thesimulated vehicle accident data with the car type, the speed, and thedirection of impact indicated for the actual historical vehicle accidentin the database.